, 1887-02-03
WASHINGTON NOTES.
ruE RErALrAToRY MEAsrnEs.

The action taken by Mcssrs. Be-
mont, Clements and Rice, sub-com-
mittec ON foreign affairs, on the fish
cry question is understood to bc ".
follows: The majority OF the sub.com.
mittec felt that whatever course wa,
taken bv the house, il should be had
in view OF the gravity and interest in
volved, not only with the knowledge.
but with the full consent and active
concurrence of the administration
They therefore determined to forward
copies of the Edmunds' resolution az
passed by the senate, the Gormar
rctaliatory bill, as introduced into the
senate, and the Belmont retaliatory
bill as reported by the foreign affair.
committee, to both Secretary Bayard
and Secretary Manning. Secretary
Manning il specifically asked
for an expression of his views
and preference on the bill, submittedas
bearing upon the interests committed
by law for his supervision and boil,
the secretary of the treasury and secre-
tary of state are asked to suggest any
modification which may seem to them
desirable in either Teasure. The
earliest possible reply is solicited
There is an authorized whisper that
one reason for this course fns been the
fact that the recent action Of the SEN
ate on certain privileged questions has
been resented by the administration az
having been taken upon in violation OF
long established usage as to the con.
stitution with state department, and
the house committee is determined to
stand right on their record in this re.
gard.
INCREASING THE NAVY.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3l.-Thc nava,
subcommittee on construction has
reached an agreement which will,
doubtless, receive the approval of the
full committee, looking to appropria.
ton for the construction of two 1000
ton cruisers .: the Newark type, five
100 ton gunboats patterned after gun
boat No. !, and three sea-going torpedo
boats. There is an intention on the
part OF several members OF the COM
mittee when the construction bill is
reached in the house to move an in
crease of the appropriation so as t.
provide for the construction Of at least
three vessels in addition to those al
ready described.
PUBLIC DEBT STATEMENT.
The public debt statement to be
issued tomorrow will show decrease
of about 100000 in the debt since
January LIST. Receipts during Janu-
AIRY were $2S,700,000, being about
$4OO,OOO more than the receipts for
tine same month last year. Expendi-
lures for January, 1887, were S20,OOO,-
600, being SO, 600, 600 less than the OK
penditures for January, 1856.
ALASKA AS A TERRITORY.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-The house
committee on territories to-day favor
ably considered the bill for the organ
ization of the territory OF Alaska. The
bill provides for the establishment ofa
civil government over all the country
ceded by Russia to the United States
under the name Of Alaska and design
ates the town of Sitka as the seat Of
government. 1t also provides that
gate in the national house of represen-
tatives to be elected by the qualified
voters of the territory.
REPLY FROM THE TREASURER.
The secretary of the treasury to-day
sent communication to the president
pro tenn of the senate, in answer to q
resolution requesting him to inform
the senate whether any national banks
are loaning money upon securities or
discounting bills or notes which re-
fused payment in gold coin only. The
secretary says there is no information
in the treasury department from which
it can be ascertained whether or not
any national banks are transacting
business lii the manner designed.
NO PROVISIONS FOR AGENTS.
The department OF the interior has
asked congress for an appropriation Of
$4,000 for salaries, expenses, ETC.. of
special agents for locating Indians on
lands in severalty under the act re-
Gently passed, in which no appropria-
ton was made for special agents re-
quired to be employed for that purpose.
AN APPEAL FROM WEATHER CLERKS.
One hundred and twenty of the one
hundred and forty clerks on duty at
the office Of the chief signal Office have
signed q petition to congress in which
they express the opinion that the in
terests of the government would be
subserved by transferring the signal
corps of the army to the new execu-
tive department contemplated in
house bill No. $50, and also urge that
| thew be made ciyilians instead of en-